Erie Criminal Defense Lawyers
When working with Sebald, Hackwelder & Knox, you always come first. Our practice and experience makes us aggressive criminal defense and DUI lawyers, but we also practice in other areas including family law, elder law, real estate law and personal injury law in Erie, PA and Meadville, PA. Our defense lawyers bring extensive jury trial experience to our practice. Whether you’re facing felony charges in Erie County, dealing with a work injury case in Crawford County or need help with real estate transactions in Warren County, we are here for you.
Best Criminal Lawyers In Erie, PA
If you have been charged with a crime, don’t settle for a court-appointed attorney. You deserve aggressive representation from a trusted criminal defense attorney in Erie County. You can minimize or remove your criminal charges by working with a knowledgeable and experienced criminal attorney at Sebald, Hackwelder, & Knox.
Why Choose Us As Your Criminal Defense Attorneys?
We understand this point of your life can be tense, confusing, and frustrating. The best thing you can do after an arrest is immediately set up a free case consultation with our criminal defense attorneys. We have extensive experience in defending clients in court who have been charged with a crime in Erie, PA. When working with us, you can rest assured knowing that your criminal case is in good hands – no matter what criminal offense charges you are facing.
Featured Practice Areas
Impairment charges including: No Refusal, Intoxication Assault, Intoxicated Manslaughter.
Family law cases involving adoption, custody, divorce, guardianship, child support and more.
Take the necessary steps to evaluate and complete your estate plan.
Defending individuals against prosecutions for criminal and regulatory offenses.
If you or a loved one has been injured from an accident causing serious injuries or death.
Real estate matters can involve big decisions and even bigger investments.
Client Reviews
EXCELLENT Based on 156 reviews Brennan Wetherbee2024-12-31Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Attorney Justin Smith represented me in 3 different legal matters over the course of 3 months—each one with likely (and, in one case, mandatory) jail time. He has done what I thought was the impossible and avoided me serving any time of incarceration. He adjusted his schedule to attend a hearing of mine with less than 24 hours notice. He is extremely intelligent and personable. I was able to call or text him at any time of the day, and he always promptly responded. He was always early for court, as well as very prepared for whatever proceeding was taking place that day. I feel forever indebted to Justin for what he has done for me and my family. I would strongly recommend his services to anybody—and I plan to do so. Stacy Best2024-12-10Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Justin Smith was the attorney we had and he did an awesome job! Very professional, great communication and affordable! He got the outcome we wanted with no hassle on us! I would 100% recommend him to anyone who needs a criminal defense attorney! Justin spencer2024-11-19Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I hired Justin Smith to take care of my case and resolved it 100 percent to my satisfaction, highly recommend Cory Placer2024-11-15Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. If you are looking for strong, professional, and vigorous criminal representation every step of the way, I would look no further than Seebald, Hackwelder, & Knox! After experiencing numerous pitfalls in prior representation and consulting with a number of other attorneys, I was pointed in their direction & am beyond grateful that I met with them & immediately chose their firm to represent me. From the onset and on a Saturday morning at that, I felt cautiously optimistic that they were the right guys to defend me moving forward. All my doubts, concerns, fears, & uncertainty were diminished from the time I sat down with them to oversee my case. In fact, it was more than evident from day one that they were the right fit for me given their specializations & vast experience in PA law enabling them to thoroughly & vigorously represent their clients. To begin with and throughout my case, they explained the process including my charges, the potential consequences which would have included either incarceration, probation, or a combination of the two, as well as, the gains & risks associated with taking my case to trial. Being informed, answering all my questions, & providing me with the necessary information to make informed decisions was respected & appreciated. Following the initial consultation, I vividly recall Steve saying to me that I need to have “faith” in their representation & I never forgot those words that he stated with a quiet confidence. In the final weeks leading up to trial, Eric and Steve negotiated a plea deal that would have permitted me to keep my job, have minimal consequences in the grand scheme of things, and avoid incarceration & I can only imagine the efforts they put into getting me that deal. In the end though, I made the decision to reject the plea deal & move forward to trial. Never once did they make me feel like I made the wrong choice or should have made a different one & proceeded to accept my decision and immediately thoroughly plan for a strong, vigorous defense at trial. In fact, so many of my worries were put aside as I witnessed the tireless efforts they put into obtaining discovery information & positioning me best throughout my case. Furthermore, Eric & Katie met with myself, my daughter, & conversed with my character witnesses in the final weeks before the trial and further put my mind at ease knowing they had a plan & were thoroughly prepared for every aspect of trial. At trial, I was beyond impressed with Eric’s preparedness, his objections, cross-examination of prosecutorial witnesses, & ability to effortlessly pivot & react to the judge’s rulings, prosecutorial strategy, & witness testimony with ease. It was obvious Eric was confident, professional in every sense of the word, and experienced in managing anything that came our way. Katie’s assistance & creation of visuals for the jury in the defense process was amazing as well & clearly added to the strong, calculated defense that was exhibited at trial. Finally, Eric’s opening & closing statements were well thought out and laid the groundwork for what was to come at trial from the defense’s standpoint and the only decision a jury could make at the conclusion...not guilty & NOT GUILTY on all charges was what we got!! Honestly, there are no words to adequately describe all of what they did for my family, children & I and consequently I will be eternally grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to repair & restore a once strong, loving, and positive relationship with my children. I have & always will have the utmost admiration and appreciation for their exceptionally strong, professional, & vigorous representation and owe them everything for defending me as though they were defending their own family. Leaving no stone unturned & truly in a "league of their own," I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to uphold their rights & freedoms. Thank you Eric, Steve, Katie & your entire support staff for giving me a new lease on life as your time, efforts, & care in my situation will never be forgotten! Elizabeth Tucker2024-10-31Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have had amazing and such positive experiences working with Katherine Goliwas! She is so professional, courteous, communicative, and an amazing advocate for her clients. Alice Ballentine2024-10-31Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very positive experience working with Atty Katherine Goliwas. Easy to talk to, very professional, attentive to emails/calls. Great Firm! Danielle Nelson2024-10-29Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My husband’s attorney Justin Smith was professional,kind, caring and really went to bat for him. He gave the best outcome one could hope for with the charges he was facing. Allen Casey2024-10-28Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Mr. Sebald is an obviously-knowledgeable attorney who gave me a better outcome than I could have hoped for given my situation. Thank you very much, sir! Charles Wiley2024-10-09Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Justin smith is a gun and isn’t lazy like the other lawyers I’ve worked with. Very hands on, spoken and knows what he’s doing. Much appreciated.